


Come Around

by quiznakeries



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 4+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Getting Together, Hugs, M/M, No Season 8, Pining Keith (Voltron), because i ran out of words to describe hugs with, instead of 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24497950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiznakeries/pseuds/quiznakeries
Summary: Four times Keith swallowed his feelings while holding Shiro, and one time he didn't.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 67





	Come Around

**Author's Note:**

> idek it's rushed but i TRIED
> 
> also if you're into mood music [this song](https://open.spotify.com/album/6kmql3s11QtejJxoXkEK7f?highlight=spotify:track:5hVDznakebbR2mdmcbqoCI) is behind the fic and all my mushy feelings
> 
> thanks a million to [cruel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CruelisnotMason/pseuds/CruelisnotMason) for the beta, and everyone i've been screaming and whining to while trying to get this thing finished. <3

**Prompt 9: Hugging**

  
  


\---

  
  


He hadn’t slept at all. And now, standing in the humongous shadow of the Garrison’s pride and joy, pointed towards the sky and waiting for its crew to board, he was starting to feel it. How the cold crept into his bones and made him shiver. But the sun had begun to rise, haloing the ship in an orange glow and a promise of warmth and light. He felt stupid about it, but on some level he’d convinced himself such things would ceize to exist without Shiro.

Shiro, who was blabbering on excitedly next to him, the hand resting between Keith’s shoulder blades vibrating with poorly contained nerves. In just a few minutes he had to go, start getting ready for the take-off. 

Keith had tried with all his might, to be supportive of Shiro living his dream. Especially when so many others weren’t. He didn’t have as much time as everyone else, and Keith understood he had to go. But as this day came nearer, he’d struggled not to sink into his selfish fantasy of Shiro changing his mind, deciding to stay. 

It made his empty stomach twist in guilt, having ever let himself think like that, when he looked up at Shiro’s face. Radiant, in his element. Happy. It didn’t matter how much Keith needed him around, it wasn’t important. Shiro being happy was important. But-

“I’m really going to miss you.” He muttered, interrupting Shiro mid-sentence and bringing his arms up to wrap around himself in some pathetic attempt at protecting himself from his feelings.

He didn’t look at Shiro to see his expression when he registered Keith’s words, but locked his eyes on the pavement. He felt silly, like a stupid kid clinging too hard, afraid to be left alone. It didn’t help in the slightest how the guy who was supposed to be his mentor, the brother figure he was supposed to be happy just to have given a kid like him a chance, made his stupid heart race in all the wrong ways.

It wasn’t always like that. When he first met Shiro, he was too busy trying to comprehend the changes he brought to Keith’s life to consider the actual man behind the actions. But as one year turned into three and nights of Shiro teaching him how to ride a hover bike off a cliff turned into two equals pushing each other to grow, the image of Shiro shifted as well. Keith’s seventeen year old brain suddenly couldn’t help reading too much into every touch, or let the rumble of Shiro’s voice linger in his mind. Couldn’t do anything about the flutter in his chest every time Shiro would smile because of him.

Not that any of that mattered. In Shiro’s eyes, he’d always be the kid who stole his car on the day they met. A child in need of guidance.

“Keith…” Shiro’s voice was soft, lower now. Intimate, in a way. The hand on Keith’s back moved to his shoulder, firmly but gently steering him to stand in front of Shiro. He could feel expectant, silver eyes on him, and as always he was helpless to their command. It was uncomfortable, meeting Shiro’s gaze. Moments like this, where Keith willingly spoke his feelings, was still pretty much uncharted territory.

But Shiro wore a fond smile, warm and comforting. A balm to Keith’s nerves.

Then he pulled Keith in, crushing him to his chest, wrapping him up in strong arms and holding him. Keith’s breath caught in his throat, startled and instantly overwhelmed by the tight embrace, and the onslaught of Shiro’s signature smell overpowering all else.

They didn’t hug often. Hadn’t in a while, and it always threw him for a loop. So, for a long moment, he just stood there, arms hanging limp at his sides. But Shiro held him patiently, chin coming to rest on the top of Keith’s head. 

“I’m going to miss you too.”

Keith sniffed, hot tears threatening to spill from behind his pinched eyelids because, fuck, he didn’t even know how much he needed to hear that until he did. 

When was the last time someone told him they'll miss him? Did anyone, ever?

He stuck his arms under Shiro’s jacket, closing around his waist. Shiro huffed above him, a puff of air in Keith’s hair, and pulled him tighter. In the background, Sam Holt’s kids bickered, and there was that telltale hum of machinery always present at the Garrison grounds. Somewhere in the distance, someone was whistling. But the sound most present, loud and thumping against his ear, was Shiro’s heartbeat.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Shiro said to him, and Keith felt the words vibrate in Shiro’s chest as he spoke them.

Keith took a long breath, sinking into Shiro and committing the feeling to memory.

Shiro was leaving, and being without him would be tough. But he would come back, and when he did, everything would be back to normal.

  
  


\---

  
  
  


Things didn’t turn out anywhere near the way Keith had anticipated. Not that anyone would have expected the Kerberos mission to go wrong, or for an ancient war to come around and turn their world upside down.

But the important thing was that, despite everything, Shiro kept his promise. He did come back. He wasn’t the same man who left for Kerberos, and things were never going to be back to normal, but Keith didn’t care. 

As long as he was with Shiro, the universe could throw what the fuck ever at him. And he’d stick to that mindset. 

Even if this Shiro was a more experienced fighter than the one he used to be, and kicked Keith’s ass on the training deck three times in a row in the past hour.

“It’s not fair making me fight the  _ champion _ .” Keith wheezed jokingly, hands clasping his knees as he caught his breath. Halfway across the room, Shiro was setting back into his stance. Breaks wasn’t part of Shiro’s program these days, apparently, and Keith was the only one who had the slightest chance of keeping up with him.

“War isn’t fair.” Shiro said seriously, signalling for Keith to come at him.

It happened often when they were alone, that Shiro either brushed past or didn’t even pick up on Keith’s attempts at making jokes, to lighten his mood. Keith tried not to let it get to him. He understood. He was the only person Shiro knew from before, the only one he could channel his true feelings onto. Shiro was trying so hard to be a good leader, not to go too hard on the paladins and remain a positive figure. It was understandable he needed to drop the mask every now and then.

Shiro had him pinned and yielding in under two minutes. Keith’s body was out of juice, mind elsewhere. When Shiro slammed him down on the mat, he didn’t even try to roll out. He could tell Shiro didn’t like it, how easily he went down. But he didn’t say anything. Instead he got on his feet, reaching out a hand for Keith to help him up as well.

There was an odd kind of tension building, but Keith couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Something that acted like a force field between them now, as they made their way to the little fridge by the entrance for some much needed water.

They didn’t speak for a while, and Keith was pretty sure Shiro was avoiding his gaze.

He waited, sipped on his second water pouch next to Shiro on a bench until he realized Shiro wasn’t going to voice the words clearly swirling around in his head.

“Are you alright?” He stole a glance at Shiro’s face, watched his eyebrows pinch at the question before he turned away.

“I really wish you would take your training more seriously, Keith.”

Keith flinched. Shiro’s voice was strained.  _ Annoyed _ , even, and it wasn’t at all what Keith expected to hear.

“What are you talking about?” He asked, returning the tone of annoyance. Did Shiro have any idea how much time Keith spent up here? How many hours every day he put to making sure to be as prepared as possible for whatever was ahead of them next? “I’m the only one on this team who can even take you on-”

“It’s not enough!” Shiro spat, pushing out of his seat. Keith watched him, wide eyed, as Shiro began to pace back and forth in front of him. He was tugging on his hair, like he did when he was frustrated. Like he always had. “If you’re going to lead Voltron some day-”

“God damnit Shiro is that what this is about?” Keith fought the urge to fly after Shiro and grab him by the shoulders, shake him back to reason. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

Shiro sucked in a sharp breath through his nose, fists clenching where he rested them against his forehead. Keith ached watching him. “I won’t let it.”

_ I’m not losing you again. _

The moment stretched long, before Shiro’s shoulder began to slump where he stood. The tightness in Keith’s chest lightened, just enough to allow him to breathe. He hated it, seeing Shiro like this.

Keith set his water to the side, moving to stand and make his way over to Shiro slowly. Approaching as if Shiro was a frightened animal, which in all honesty didn’t feel far off. His outstretched hand didn’t even make contact with Shiro’s arm before a new question, spoken so softly he wouldn’t have heard it had he remained seated, made him stop short.

“What if something happens to  _ you _ ?” 

Shiro turned to look him in the eye, and Keith blinked dumbly. Shiro’s expression was unlike anything Keith has ever seen in him before. Anxious, fearful. It threw Keith completely off balance. He didn’t know how to deal with that, having someone so openly scared for him.

“What if you’re out there alone and you can’t-”

Keith closed whatever little distance was left between them, wrapping his arms around Shiro’s wide frame from the side. The angle was awkward, with Shiro’s shoulder crushed against his windpipe and arms not really even reaching all the way around.

It hit him he never really did this before.

Initiated the hug, that is.

But Shiro didn’t seem to mind his terrible attempt at creating the same comfortable embrace as Shiro’s done for him so many times over the years. He just shifted in Keith’s hold, turning to face him and guided Keith’s arms to loop around his neck instead. Keith got on his tiptoes, and sighed into Shiro’s neck as Shiro hugged him back, solid and warm all over.

He hadn’t had time or space in his mind to think about his feelings for Shiro since he came back. They were there, still, but dormant. Like the butterflies went to sleep in order to let him try and cope with being thrown headfirst into war and all that it meant. To deal with being a paladin of Voltron. But standing there, Shiro’s words on repeat and his body pressed close, all that love came rushing back with the force of a dam break. 

It was misguided at best, probably, but he’d keep the worry and the care that Shiro felt for him close to heart. No one but him needed to know in what way he chose to let them fuel his dreams, anyway.

  
  


\---

  
  
  


Keith wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there, alone on the observation deck, staring off into empty space. Literally. But he knew he’d missed dinner, the first night with Shiro back at the table since Black finally found him. 

He should have been there, obviously. With Lotor up to something the team needed to stick together and work it out. But Keith couldn’t make himself face them. 

Just another sign he wasn’t cut out for this. Being a leader.

Shiro went through hell, time and time again. Yet he rolled out of bed, ready and able to lead Voltron. Shiro was meant to be their leader, but Black-

Keith didn’t understand why she wouldn’t take her true paladin back. What was the problem? He’d spent over an hour in the hangar after they returned to the castle earlier, fruitlessly trying to connect with Black and tell her to stop messing around. But much like when she chose him in the first place, the lion wouldn’t listen.

Ever since the beginning of all this, they’d been told Red was the stubborn one. The toughest to tame. But at least she could be tamed. Keith was beginning to think Black never could.

The dark room didn’t reflect much on the rounded window, so when the door swooshed open, all Keith saw was himself and Shiro. Like a thin veil draped over the vast image of the universe, he saw Shiro walking towards him slowly.

It took him back to the Garrison, with his instincts pulling him in two directions. Because as much as he wanted to be close to Shiro, now more than ever, he had the urge to hide away. When he was alone it was okay not to expect anything of himself, to bury his cares and pretend he didn’t care. It was an escape he’d often turned to.

But Shiro always made running away impossible.

Keith didn’t turn to face him, but didn’t shy away when Shiro reached for him, placed a big hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry I had to step in back there.”

”I thought I had it under control.” His voice came out as barely more than a whisper. Nothing like Shiro’s, firm and collected.

“You need to learn to pick your battles.” Shiro continued. “Sometimes you have to make hard choices.”

Keith didn’t want to hear that. He didn’t need to be told the qualities he lacked, least of all by the guy supposed to have his job. He felt bad enough already, like he stole something from Shiro. It was a far too present fear within him, that Shiro might resent him for it.

“I’m no good at this.”

“Yes, you are.” Shiro’s retort was instant, and it pierced his building anxiety like a needle popping a balloon. Shiro’s voice was softer, open and earnest. And when Keith turned to look at him, his heart skipped a beat. “It was your quick thinking that prevented Lotor from getting away with the teladuv. You’re gonna get there.” 

The look on Shiro’s face was unlike the beaming pride when Keith beat his sim scores. Had nothing on the slack jaw hanging low in awe the first time Keith attempted and nailed the hover bike jump off the cliff. This was different, so much more important. Keith noticed that much, even if his stubborn brain refused to fully accept the words that went along with Shiro’s soft expression. 

“The Black Lion has chosen you.” Shiro offered him a sweet smile, and Keith wished he was in the state of mind to take it in. “I’m proud of you Keith.”

He never thought there would come a point where those words coming from Shiro wouldn’t make him feel good. If anything, the softly spoken words quickly turned sour in his mind.

“Keith.” Shiro followed his movement when he tried turning away, stepping between Keith and the view he intended to get lost in as he continued his night of sulking. His hands curled over Keith’s biceps, keeping him from moving.

Shiro always made running away impossible.

“You’re not a kid getting into fights anymore. Or even the hothead that started this journey not too long ago.” Shiro shook him lightly, just to push him into making eye contact. “And you are proving that every day. You’re a good man, and a good leader. So don’t let your past control your future.”

Keith didn’t know what to say, how to react to that. Since they’d been in space, Keith had felt less and less like Shiro’s equal, back to being a kid under Shiro’s care. But if what Shiro just said was true, it meant he’d been wrong. That Shiro did in fact consider him one of his peers, not a child.

That he could find comfort in, even if it wasn’t the point of Shiro’s words.

He muttered a weak thanks, and let Shiro into his space for the hug he knew was coming. It was a precious rarity, getting to relax in Shiro’s embrace in private and without thinking about other people catching him enjoying it too much. 

It couldn’t be good for the less developed parts of his mind, knowing Shiro saw him as a man and not a boy.

It opened too many doors for his imagination, and there was no time for that.

  
  


—-

  
  
  


For too long, time passed slowly. Two years and then some stuck on the back of a space whale cruising through the quantum abyss, where time itself became nothing but a vague concept. If it wasn’t for their logs, they’d never have known how long they spent there. Light and dark came as it pleased, seasons didn’t change in any way either of them had seen before. Everything was dulled, foggy.

And then, their realities kicked back into gear, and Keith found himself dizzy in the whirl of it all.

Finding Romelle, getting back to face Lotor. Shiro turning on them. The cloning facility. The fight with Lotor. Transferring Shiro’s consciousness into the clone body. Suddenly, there were no moments left to breathe. No pockets of time in which to gather themselves. 

But despite having fought an evil wearing Shiro’s face, despite intergalactic war and magic and alternate realities, the worst part of all was watching Shiro in that pod. Seeing the readings shift and listening to the machine beeping for what seemed like eternity. It was the helplessness that got to him, tearing him apart as nothing seemed to happen. 

He’d lost Shiro so many times. Lost him, mourned him, found him, saved him, searched the stars for him, fought him, accepted their shared fate and fallen with him into nothingness. But he’d never had to sit and watch him die. And he decided he never would. He didn’t care if it was impossible, if Allura told him in a voice that was wet with tears that there was nothing she could do. It would just have to happen anyway. 

They were too close, after all this time, letting go wasn’t an option.

And so when Shiro finally came back, for a brief moment, he felt like everything was over. Like war and Voltron didn’t matter, or even exist, because all that he would ever need was Shiro muttering his name through the daze, blinking up at him. 

The real Shiro. 

_ His _ Shiro.

He looked at him and Keith saw everything there. Everything he ever wanted, and would ever want. He saw the gratitude and the love that Shiro held just for him. He saw the man that stuck Keith with a Garrison issued business card after tracking down his stolen car, a building number and passcode scribbled on the back. He saw the lost Kerberos pilot who crashed back onto earth, cast in moonlight and tossing in restless sleep on the floor in Keith’s desert shack. He saw the wide eyed moron gaping and stuttering when Keith stepped off the Altean pod. 

Not falling victim to his own urges was all he could muster. As much as he wanted to give in to the silent roar behind his rib cage and let Shiro know just what Keith was feeling then, how much he wanted him in every way he ever could, he knew he couldn’t.

Bending his neck to tuck his face in the curve of Shiro’s neck instead of dipping down to let their faces line up was a true show of strength that no one ever saw him power through. But once he was past it, melting into Shiro was the easiest thing in the world. Feeling a fumbly, tired arm curve around his waist the most wonderful experience. 

Shiro kept him on his toes in the worst way, that much was true. But Keith also knew now that he’d walk straight through hellfire to drag him back, just to keep him a little longer. 

  
  


—-

  
  
  


“This place looks great!”

Keith nearly fell off the ladder, hammer flying god knows where as he scrambled to find his balance. He’d been alone with Kosmo out by the shack for two days straight, so the sudden call of a voice from the ground below was more than enough to startle him, no matter how much training the Blades have put him through over the past few years.

He looked down at the figure now holding on to the ladder, steadying him.

“Shiro?”

The Atlas captain was dressed for duty, neat and put together in his uniform, clashing hard with Keith’s current state of paint splattered flannel and carpenter trousers. 

“How-“

Keith looked around, not believing that he managed to zone out so bad he didn’t hear a vehicle approaching. Besides, Shiro wasn’t even supposed to be back on planet for another six hours. Keith was supposed to go to the Garrison and greet the crew. They had  _ dinner plans _ . He rushed to install the new shower before tonight just to get ready for this.

“Oh, uh, Kosmo came to get me.” Shiro nodded towards the new shed, where Kosmo hung out in the shade more often than not while Keith worked on the house. 

“Kosmo can’t teleport more than a couple of miles.” Keith thought out loud, and Shiro cracked a smile below. “How did he find y-“

“I was in my office, actually.” Shiro interrupted him, stepping back to let Keith make his way back to the ground. “Slight miscalculation on our part. I tried to call you. Twice!”

Shiro caught him by the hand as he stepped off the ladder, Keith’s other hand patting himself down in search for his communicator. Which wasn’t on him.

“Shit, Shiro I’m sorry.” Keith grimaced, trying to pass it off as a side effect of working outdoors in the blazing sun that he was starting to feel flushed. Not that there was anyone there to fool except for Shiro, who Keith had long since learned was completely blind to such things.

It’d been a strange transition, settling into a new life after the war. Keith spent most of his time on New Daibazaal, helping the newly elected leaders to settle in and begin to sift through the rubble of their civilization. It’d been an eventful, albeit tiring year, with too many long nights solving petty conflicts than he could count. But he was starting to get away finally, helping the Blades reroute their skill sets. They were putting up bases all over, Earth included. Which was why he’d decided to restore and renovate the shack. If he was going to spend months on end on his home planet, he wasn’t crashing in some bunk at the Garrison.

But the best part of the war being over, in Keith’s personal opinion, was the change it had brought in Shiro. For the first time since the launch day for the Kerberos mission, Keith could see that fire in Shiro’s eyes. He was traveling through space, acting his part as a coalition leader and diplomat in interactions with endless species, seeing new worlds every other week.

And Keith knew how excited he was, how much he loved it. Because Shiro told him. Almost every day, his communicator would ping with an incoming call from the Atlas. Sometimes they were galaxies apart, catching up over flickering video feeds. Other times, Shiro would just call to give him a heads up, before an MFE jet would make a graceful landing next to Black in her hangar on Daibazaal. 

But the best days, was when Shiro would send him coordinates. He didn’t even look them up beforehand, just got in his lion and zoomed off to meet with Shiro in whatever cool little nook of the universe the captain had found and wanted to share.

It was difficult not to read too much into it, as they were making up for lost time. Really difficult. But nearly two years down the line, Shiro had shown no sign of other intentions than spending time with his best friend. 

Which for a long time, was fine. Keith could keep his feelings to himself. He had been for as long as he could remember.

But the last time that they saw each other, just about a week earlier on a little planet in Altea’s star system, Shiro had taken him for a ride in the desert. It was nothing like the one they currently stood in, but a crisp, snowy white as far as their eyes would reach. Every rocky cliff, every speck of sand. It was incredible, warm and dry like any desert but with a visual illusion of a snowy landscape. Shiro borrowed something like advanced dirt bikes from somewhere, and they rode for hours. At the end of it, Shiro had turned to look at him, and what Keith read there had his carefully protected heart start to break its bounds.

He’d taken his leave before exploring it any further. It was too much, after all that time, having the man he loved look at him with open affection. With a sparkle that Keith didn’t dare believe in.

Afterwards, Shiro had called to make sure he was okay, and Keith ensured him that he was. Shiro seemed to believe him, and didn’t ask anything else. But even though they were worlds apart for the next six days, Keith could tell something had shifted. 

So even if he figured he should scold his wolf for kidnapping planet earth’s most valued citizen when it came to post war diplomacy, part of him was thankful. He’d felt it early in the morning already, the nerves beginning to pluck on his heartstrings.

Like this, the bandaid was ripped off before he could freak out.

And Shiro didn’t seem to mind being kidnapped, anyway.

“It’s fine.  _ I’m _ sorry I almost made you fall off the roof.” Shiro chuckled, still holding Keith’s hand in his new altean one. It was more like his older prosthetic, a fully attached arm that allowed him to wear normal clothing, and not look quite so threatening when interacting with planet leaders haunted by war and violence. He looked up to where Keith had been busy nailing down the base for the new roof. “You’ve come a long way since I was here last.”

“Yeah.” Keith followed Shiro’s gaze, down the new facade and back to where their eyes could meet. “There’s a time and a place for dragging things out, I guess.”

Shiro’s soft smile widened, and he nodded slowly. “I think you’re right.”

Keith’s free hand was clammy when he raised it to curl around Shiro’s neck, and Shiro’s was shaking as it found its way to rest on the small of his back. 

It was unlike any embrace Keith had shared with anyone, and he wasn’t sure it qualified as a hug or not, but as they leaned into each other, holds tightening and breaths catching as their noses touched in the prelude of their first kiss, technicalities such as that didn’t really matter.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm never writing anyone holding anyone or anything ever again after this


End file.
